Category: Positive Mitzvos

The new year and mitzvos

The new year and mitzvos is something we are faced with every year. After Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, we want to merit a new year of live and all good things. We have the Aseres Yimai Teshuva, the ten days of repentance, when we are meant to demonstrate in practice our commitments to be good.

What can we do in practice to merit a good new year? Actions – the need to better our mitzva performance is definitely an area that can be to our advantage. Positive and negative commandments from the 613 mitzvos are there for the taking. Taking one mitzva to focus on and simply analyse how you are approaching it now and what more can be done is the way to go! This itself can act as a reason to give us another year of life. The danger is not to take on too high a goal but take it up one level from what you were doing should be the target. The year itself is the testing ground to see how your commitment is carried out in practice.  Keep strong to get the best results!

Elul and Teshuva

Elul and Teshuva is something that stands out as being synonymous with each other. Really, the idea of teshuva applies throughout the year. However, there are certain times in the year when this is the focus and it is done by everyone in earnest – this is in the month of Elul. Why? The month before Rosh Hashana, the day of Judgement, is Elul, when we start preparing ourselves for being judged by thinking into our current and previous actions. Self introspection is the focus as we become more aware of the impending judgement that will effect the coming year. The result of this should be the positive mitzva of teshuva of Vidui – it involves stopping to sin, regret and taking on the resolve to not sin again.

For a more practical side of how to start doing teshuva, see the post on Practical advice for Elul and Teshuva.

Tisha B’Av and the missing mitzvos

Tisha B’Av and the missing mitzvos is something central to every Jew. On the 9th of Av the holy Beis Hamikdosh was destroyed which led to exile. This resulted in many mitzvos no longer able to be fulfilled. In fact, from the 613 positive and negative commandments, only 271 mitzvos can be done nowadays. That means the majority, 342 mitzvos, currently cannot be done! This is part of our great aveiles and sadness specifically on Tisha B’Av, as well as throughout the year, that our spiritual lives have been minimised, further distancing us from Hashem. What we must do is strengthen ourselves in the mitzvos that remain with us and feel the loss of those we currently cannot do that will come back with the coming of Moshiach, may he speedily come now.

Chukim and Mishpotim

The Torah has 613 mitzvos and these are compiled of Chukim and Mishpotim. Mishpotim, are mitzvos whose reasoning we understand and Chukim are mitzvos that are incomprehensible to us. It is here where vulnerability comes in to Jews who are not firm in their emuna and are questioned to explain these.  Examples include the red heifer and shatnez. A jew’s response to this is that we have to realise that man is limited hence his understanding is limited while G-d is Infinite. This means that by definition we are lacking in being able to understand and therefore any inadequacy lies with us and not G-d. Thus, any lack of understanding is no reason to stop performing mitzvos.

How many mitzvos nowadays?

How many mitzvos nowadays can be done in practice? The Chofetz Chayim compiled a book called Sefer HaMitzvos Hakozer that lists out of the 613 mitzvos how many can be done nowadays. This is because a lot of mitzvos involve korbonous. sacrifices, and the holy Beis Hamikdosh that has been destroyed. He lists 77 positive commandments and 194 negative commandments.

Going and davening in shul

Going and davening in shul is done at least twice a day. It is so routine that we hardly think about it and treat it as part of our regular schedule. However, with a little thought, we can imbue this whole routine into becoming an uplifting spiritual experience! When walking to shul, each step is part of the mitzva of davening with a minyan. Davening (according to some) is a positive mitzva. Entering a shul with fear, relaising that Hashem’s Shechina resides there. is a positive mitzva.

Let us take Shachris, the morning prayer, as our example. Some have the custom of accepting upon themselves the positive mitzva of loving your friend like yourself and the of judging your friend meritously as well as the negative commandment of not hating your friend in your heart. Then you don your tallis that is a positive mitzva and then put on tefillin that is two positive commandments for the arm and head tefillin. Then there is the positive mitzva of reading the shema. There is a custom of giving tzedoka, charity, into the shul tzedoka box at some point during davening. In the shema itself is an allusion to all ten commandments.  Great people during the recital of the shema accept upon themselves to die for Hashem’s Sake, the positive mitzva of Kiddush Hashem. Sometimes, the kohanim duchen and bless the people that is a positive mitzva.

I can’t do all 613?

When you start going through the list of the 613 commandments, you will find yourself asking, “but i can’t do all 613?”. This is because some of them are only for Jewish Kings and others for only Kohanim. Some are only applicable to when the Beis Hamikdosh was up and running. How then can each individual achieve completion with all 613 that parallels the human body – the 248 positive commandments to the 248 limbs and the 365 negative commandments to the 365 sinews? Here we come to an important principle of Arvus – Jews being connected to each other spirituality and therefore what is done by one can be seen to also be attributed to others. In this way it is possible for every Jew to do all 613 mitzvos!

The number 613

The Sages tell us that the total number of mitzvos are taryag, 613.  Where does the number of 613 come from and what does it mean? If we look in the actual Torah, we can count more than 613? This is the reason for a huge argument between the commentators as to which ones are to be counted! What is clear is that there are most definitely many more than 613 mitzvos. The number 613 is like the “main” ones, but all the others most definitely are also mitzvos. The significance of 613 is that it is comprised of 248 positive commandments, paralleling the 248 limbs, and 365 negative commandments, paralleling the 365 days of the solar year. It is like the positive mitzvos are telling the person’s limb to constantly do mitzvos with the whole body while the negative mitzvos are saying each day of the year to the person not to sin!

Six Constant Commandments

The Jew finds himself in the world taken up with life. Without thinking we go about our day. Very often we find ourselves in situations where we are stuck in one place for long periods of time – e.g. travelling by train or car, or even waiting in a shopping queue, or even walking. Here is the opportunity for us to THINK and not sit idly gazing around at the people or advertisements (that usually are contrary to the standards of Jewish Law!) This time may seem small but over time it adds up.  People can use this time for thinking about all different things, but here i want to mention the opportunity of doing mitzvos even in this stuck position!

There are six constant commandments that a person can doing almost at any time! They are:

  1. The positive mitzva to believe that there is only one G-d in the world Who Created and continually Guides all events.
  2. The negative commandment of not believing in other gods.
  3. The positive commandment that Hashem is One without any partner.
  4. The positive mitzva of loving Hashem by thinking into the Torah and world how all comes from Hashem’s Great Kindness.
  5. The negative mitzva of fearing Hashem constantly, especially when a person is about to sin, this reminder that all his actions and thoughts are recorded and monitored should stop him in his tracks!
  6. The negative commandment to not be negatively drawn to thoughts of heresy or physical desires as seen by the wandering eyes.

The Charity Scenario

David was in shul and heard the sound of collecting – the jingling of coins. He looked up to see the man, to get advanced warning of what type of person to think about how much charity he would give. Upon spotting the approaching man, his initial reaction was distaste at his appearance and so he decided not to give. At the same time he noticed another collector behind the other whom he did like the look of decided that he would give to him. As sometimes happens, the collectors mistakenly did some of their rounds again and approached David. He shrugged to the man’s outstretched arm and thought why should he give him again.

This is just one example of an every day ocurrence. How many mitzvos are going on in this one story?   Stop and think and only then read further!

The first mitzva when meeting a fellow Jew is the positive mitzva to love him as yourself and also the negative mitzva, not to hate him in your heart. If the person is a convert then there is the additional positive mitzva of loving the ger. With regards to the actual act of tzedoka, charity, there are a few. One is the negative mitzva not to strengthen your heart and not give the pauper –  here this was because of dislike. There is the positive commandments:  giving to the needy is emulating the pathways of Hashem and opening one’s hand to give money. This includes giving again even if they ask a second time!

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